One life lesson that can be learned from chapter 14 is to know limits and accept inability to accomplish some things. In this chapter, Krakauer decides to attempt climbing devils thumb. As he is climbing with his ice axes, he faces problems concerning both capability and physicality. He is unable to continue climbing because he starts hitting rock instead of thick ice, and he is physically unable to continue climbing because he starts to hyperventilate. In this instance, he had to realize that he had limits to ability to climb devils thumb, accept that and go back down. People have to recognize their limits and boundaries in their life. These boundaries could be physically in sports, or emotionally ability to support and help everyone who asks.
The reader can learn from the effects of what Chris did on his family. Chris left to divorce his parents and hurt them. This emotion of hatred toward his parents stemmed mostly from his anger toward what his father had done by having an affair with his previous wife. By deciding to leave and hurt his parents deeply not only hurt his father and mother, but also his sister. Every day he was gone, his sister cried. He should have thought about how what he was going to do was going to hurt others. Also, hurting both his parents was completely unfair particularly to his mother. His mother had already been hurt by Walt because of his affair. There is no reason that Chris should have just broken her heart like that. Every time that she went out when Chris was gone, she would leave a note on the door in case he came home. She was broken by the loss of his son. He should have considered more carefully the possible results of his actions, and so should everyone. Very often, people act rashly without thinking about what they are about to do or say could hurt others.
The reader can learn from the effects of what Chris did on his family. Chris left to divorce his parents and hurt them. This emotion of hatred toward his parents stemmed mostly from his anger toward what his father had done by having an affair with his previous wife. By deciding to leave and hurt his parents deeply not only hurt his father and mother, but also his sister. Every day he was gone, his sister cried. He should have thought about how what he was going to do was going to hurt others. Also, hurting both his parents was completely unfair particularly to his mother. His mother had already been hurt by Walt because of his affair. There is no reason that Chris should have just broken her heart like that. Every time that she went out when Chris was gone, she would leave a note on the door in case he came home. She was broken by the loss of his son. He should have considered more carefully the possible results of his actions, and so should everyone. Very often, people act rashly without thinking about what they are about to do or say could hurt others.